The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-16
DISCHARGED IN DISGRACE
Judge Irwin Rebukes the Grand Jury
for Disregarding His Instructions.
lie States Plainly that in Ignoring Their
Duty the Jury Showed that They We're
in Sympathy with Crime.

The Democratic grand jury ended its Infamous
existence yesterday afternoon at o'clock.
knowing that the jury would make its final re-
port during the afternoon and receive its dis
charge by Judge Irwin, quite q number of at
torneys and others went to the courtroom,
pecting that the Judge would have a parting
word with the jury that had refused to act upon
his written instructions to investigate the tally
sheet forgeries They were not disappointed.
After the foreman of the jury had handed
the list Of indictments and they had been for
maly examined by the Judge, he called the at
tention of the jurors to the fact that the term
for which they had been drawn
had expired and that he would
discharge them finally. I'm dischargine
you. gentlemen" said he, 'I am very sorry to
say that I cannot do it with commentator.
For what effort you have made in ferreting out
crime, do commend you, but I must say that
in general your work has been unsatisfactory,
and disappointment to myself and people who
desire to see justice meted ont When you were
first called before for instructions. called
your attention to what is known as the tally
sheet forgeries, and instructed that you should
all means necessary to fasten the crime
upon those who guilty. These instruc-
tions you entirely ignored by refusing to go
into an lnVesIlgaIiOn OF the case dao tnero
been an investigation held, and return even
made that you honestly believed there not
sufficient evidence upon which to indict, you
would have shown, at least. your desire to do
your sworn duty Your silence in the
must be interpreted sympathy with crime,
when you were trusted by the State of Indiana
TO do all in your power to ferret crime out
Again, l say, for what good work you have
done, commend you, but for that you have re-
fused to do cannot"
AS soon as the jurors were told they could go,
they hurried from the courthouse. The people
who in the courtroom showed by their
countenances that they approved what Judge
Irwin had said. and when he closed there was a
slight ripple OF applause. The grand jury in
every respect was regarded as the most in
famous that ever sat in the courthouse Through
ach of the six sessions that the jury held, the
hand of the gang" could be plainly in
much of their work. The violators of the
liquor-law were SO carefully protected that after
the first term no indictments were returned
against saloon keepers. Men convicted in the
Mayors court of crimes that called for
fences to the penitentiary were continually
released by the jury, simply because they were
in favor with the gang. Many of the most dan
gerous criminals the police ever captured were
allowed to go free, and SO difficult did it become
TO procure an indictment against a criminal that
Superintendent Travis, two months ago, gave
the patrolmen orders to not go before the jury,
but TO file information direct in the Criminal
Court
Now that the disreputable jury is q thing of
the past the lava abiding people are beginning to
wonder if, when the new jury is drawn next
week, the gang will be able to again pack
is in their own interest. There are few who
do not believe that it will be tried. and that the
means by which it will be done will be past find
ing out.
The final report of the jury. submitted previ-
Gus to Judge Twins lecture, did not contain
much of interest 1t had been given out by
Democrats that more indictments were to be re-
turned against Republicans for alleged violations
of the election laws but, according to the state
ment of Deputy Prosecutor Hoffman, none
were returned The two cases partially consid-
cred at the previous term and continued were
dismissed. In all, thirty six indictments were
returned during the term. aud 1854 witnesses
were examined. Henry Weir. charged with
grand larceny, and James Mullery, charged
with assault and battery with intent to kill,
were discharged Mullery is the young man
VINO cut William Jones at Seiberts livery stable.
on Virginia avenue, several weeks ago. The
case was dismissed because Jones had left the
city. and refused to appear prosecuting wit
ness. The persons indicted who under
rest were Fred Patterson, charged with patti
larceny, and Eva Helms, John Graves and
Charles Shafer, charged with grand larceny
The Jail, poor-farm and work-house were visited
by the jury, and are reported to be kept in good
condition.